bittern

UK: /ˈbɪtən/ US: /ˈbɪtɚn/ ,(bit′ərn)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

bit•tern¹ /ˈbɪtɚn/   n. [countable]

1. Birds a brown and whitish wading bird of the heron family.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

bit•tern¹  (bit′ərn), n. 

1. any of several tawny brown herons that inhabit reedy marshes, as Botaurus lentiginosus (American bittern), of North America, and B. stellaris, of Europe.
2. any of several small herons of the genus Ixobrychus, as I. exilis (least bittern), of temperate and tropical North and South America.

• Vulgar Latin *būtitaurus, equivalent. to *būti-, perh. to be identified with Latin būteō a species of hawk (see buteo) + Latin taurus bull (cited by Pliny as a name for a bird emitting a bellowing sound)
• Anglo-French bytore, Anglo-French, Old French butor
• bitter, bittor bittern + -n (perh. by association with heron), Middle English bito(u)r, butur, boto(u)r 1510–20

bit•tern²  (bit′ərn), n. [Chem.]

1. Chemistry a bitter solution remaining in salt making after the salt has crystallized out of seawater or brine, used as a source of bromides, iodides, and certain other salts.

• 1675–85; variant of bittering; see bitter, -ing¹

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

bittern / ˈbɪtən/ noun

1. any wading bird of the genera Ixobrychus and Botaurus, related and similar to the herons but with shorter legs and neck, a stouter body, and a booming call: family Ardeidae, order Ciconiiformes

Etymology: 14th Century: from Old French butor, perhaps from Latin būtiō bittern + taurus bull; referring to its cry